In a relatively short amount of time, Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon has become a central figure in the transfer plans of two of European football’s heavyweights.
Left out of the last six games of a disappointing league season for a Newcastle side that impressed en route to the last 16 of this season’s Champions League before being dumped out by Barcelona, Gordon’s departure has long seemed an inevitability, with Bayern Munich for a while appearing his most likely destination.
However, it is Barca who now look to be in pole position to secure his services, with reports emerging on Wednesday that they are in advanced talks with Newcastle and have reached an agreement on personal terms with the England winger.
Barca are reported to have submitted an offer in the region of £70m for Gordon’s services, with their interest in the 25-year-old coming as they remain in negotiations with Manchester United over Marcus Rashford.
The Blaugrana have an option to make Rashford’s loan move a permanent one for a fee of €35m (£30m) after an impressive first season in Catalonia. They have not taken up that option, and are reportedly keen to acquire him for a lower price.
So why are Barca pushing to bring in Gordon in for a much more costly fee?
Gordon’s production not quite what it seems
Gordon’s numbers from this season are, on the surface, very impressive.
He scored 17 goals in all competitions in 2025-26 while providing five assists. Ten of those goals came in the Champions League — heading into Saturday’s final between holders Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, only Kylian Mbappe (15) and Harry Kane (14) have scored more — including one in the first of three meetings between Newcastle and Barca.
Gordon possesses great pace, is very dangerous cutting onto his right foot and has an innate ability for drawing contact and winning penalties. All of those qualities will appeal to Barca, as will a defensive work rate that is a prerequisite for playing for an Eddie Howe side, though it was lacking among many in the Newcastle team by the end of a poor campaign.
Yet it cannot be ignored that much of his output this season came from the penalty spot.
Nine of his goals in 2025-26 were penalties, with his tally of eight non-penalty goals comfortably eclipsed by that of Rashford.
None of Rashford’s 14 goals came from the spot, while his output in terms of assists this season was also superior to that Gordon, as he laid on 11 for his Barca team-mates.
Rashford wrote his name in Barca folklore with a stunning free-kick in the 2-0 Clasico win over Real Madrid that clinched the LaLiga title.
After such a campaign, it would seem a curious move by Barca to explore signing a more expensive player who operates in the same role off the left wing.
Yet it seems Barca’s pursuit of Gordon is not a rejection of the opportunity to extend Rashford’s stay.
Barcelona not giving up on Rashford
To the contrary, Spanish football expert Guillem Balague reported that Barca also intend to try to keep Rashford.
In previous years, contemplating such an idea would have been extremely fanciful for a club operating under tight financial constraints.
Indeed, Barca’s movements in the transfer market have been hindered by limitations that have allowed them to only invest 60 per cent of a departing player’s salary or around 20 per cent of transfer income into new operations.
However, the club appear set to return to LaLiga’s 1:1 rule, allowing them to reinvest 100 per cent of transfer income and salary savings into improving the squad.
Balague reports that Barca have the funds available for two or three significant transfers, with a centre-back and centre-forward also on the agenda alongside a deal for Gordon.
Financially, with some departures alongside the expected exit of Robert Lewandowski, Barca may be able to make a move for Gordon work.
Still, given their clear need at the heart of their attack and their plentiful options on the flanks, Barca’s focus on signing both Gordon and Rashford looks a little misguided.
An expensive Barcelona insurance policy
Barca have long since been linked with a move for Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez. However, with both PSG and Arsenal credited with an interest in the Argentina forward, that deal looks a lot more difficult.
Centre-forwards have become increasingly difficult to find in modern football and, should they miss out on Alvarez, there is no guarantee Barca will be able to source a satisfactory alternative replacement for Lewandowski.
As such, pressing to sign both Gordon and Rashford may represent an expensive insurance policy for Barca.
A move for Gordon is clearly primarily tied to Barca reinforcing their wide areas. Between Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and the likes of Fermin Lopez, Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres, who can all operate on the flanks, Barca are very well-stocked out wide.
Yet Raphinha, who is coming off an injury-hindered season, turns 30 is December and has only two years left on his deal, while Olmo and Fermin, who is out of the World Cup with a broken bone in his foot, are at their best when deployed through the middle.
It is, therefore, not too difficult for Barca to justify moves for Gordon and Rashford, especially when both can operate as a central striker.
Gordon spent much of this season playing through the middle for Newcastle as they struggled to find a solution up front in the wake of Alexander Isak’s departure. With the time and space he would get in LaLiga, it’s easy to make the case that he would thrive in such a role for Barca.
Barca will, of course, hope they can find a central striker to lessen the need for Gordon or Rashford to operate in such a capacity, but their versatility only increases their allure.
There is no certainty Barca will be able to reach a compromise with United on a different fee to the option they have on Rashford.
An impasse would beg the original question. Why Gordon at £70m (or more if Newcastle get their wish) and not Rashford at £30m?
The best explanation may be the simplest one. Gordon does not turn 26 until February, Rashford is 29 in October. It’s not a massive gap in age, but it’s a significant enough one for Barca to be able to make the argument that, if it comes down to Gordon over Rashford, they are signing the player with much more room to grow.
Barca’s ideal world of signing both and bringing in a centre-forward may seem optimistic in the extreme. But, with their seemingly loosening financial constraints, it would be no surprise to see Barca make the unlikely a reality. With the size of the fee for Gordon, there will be sceptics regardless of how it shakes out, but few clubs in world football are better set up to prove that there is in fact method in what many may see as madness.
